Does anyone think besides me that posters are pushing for the skaters they like as skaters and making the best out of them for qualifying as commentators? It's coming down to my favorite skater should be a commentator.

Joe

Are saying that everyone on this board BESIDES YOU has been doing this? If so, I find that very insulting and very presumptuous of you to say that.

Now, if you weren't saying that, then I totally apologize in advance.

BTW, why would you ask Dr. Frog if she hated Kerrigan's skating? I mean, just because you thought she was good, doesn't mean other people do, and just because they don't enjoy it doesn't mean it's because they hated her skating.

Now, as for the NBC team at SLC...ugh.

The thing that bothered me about Bezic would be the way she would show blatant favoritism towards skaters she had choreographed for. But considering that she suicided herself from the sport and therefore unemployed, I guess that bias would no longer be a problem...come to think of it, it wasn't a problem in SLC either .

I always thought Scott was clearly biased in his commentary, and I couldn't believe how off-base he was during SLC. As a skater, he was supposed to be better than the horrible Tom Hammond...not on his level.

Tom Hammond is simply the worst. Al Trautwig is horrible and the worst for gymnastics, but thank goodness that I'm not that familiar with his skating commentary.

I really enjoy Tracy Wilson because she doesn't seem to dumb down the commentary as much as the rest of them do.

But if I think about it, it could be a lot worse...we could get Roz Sumners, and if Scott has any pull, we might considering she's a buddy of his...

Are saying that everyone on this board BESIDES YOU has been doing this? If so, I find that very insulting and very presumptuous of you to say that.

Now, if you weren't saying that, then I totally apologize in advance.

VIETgirlTerifa - Boy, am I getting this from all sidesl.
Did it occur to you that I was saying that with tongue in cheek? I rarely use emoticons but after this thread I think I better start using them.

VIETgirlTerifa - Boy, am I getting this from all sidesl.
Did it occur to you that I was saying that with tongue in cheek? I rarely use emoticons but after this thread I think I better start using them.

Joe

It would help considering I can't hear the tone of the post when I read it.

I inferred you were being serious because you asked Dr. Frog if she hated Kerrigan's skating after she harshly criticized Kerrigan's commentating after you said you liked it and how we shouldn't judge her commentating based on her skating.

I agree that there are coaches who would make great commentators. I would love to hear Frank Carroll’s comments because he has interesting insight into what works for different types of skaters, and he knows when a skater is virtually hopeless and needs to give it up. I know Tarasova is not comfortable with her English, but I would love to hear her thoughts because great skating pushes her over the edge, and that would be exciting to hear during a great performance.

Many former skaters who take up commentary based on their reputation end up being a bore because they have no life experiences outside the sport. Skaters like Roz, Nancy and Scott who have not ventured out into the world except for skating tours have little to say beyond “that fall will cost them” or “they skated clean.” One reason I find Dick Button to be the best skating commentator is that he draws on his life experiences to say interesting things like when he gives Savoie or Jahnke credit for being decent human beings. Even though he is dated and sexist talking about baby ballerinas and cupcakes I enjoy his comments because they reflect who he is.

The problem with many skaters who become commentators is that the only know what worked for them in their eligible careers and they project that onto every other skater. For example, Boitano made comments during many performances about pacing, catching your breath and practicing full run throughs like he did with Linda Leaver. It’s great that those techniques helped him win a gold medal, but it was boring to listen to, and not everyone uses the same approach.

Originally Posted by chuckm

Tara? No way.

Tara always gave interesting interviews. She was one of the most skilled skaters ever when it came to dealing with the media. She always gave reporters something they could print, and they loved her for it. That media savvy would put her ahead of most skaters-turned commentators, and many people would tune in to hear Tara commentate during Michelle's skating.

I wouldn't mind ABC doing it. They have the staff for figure skating and their cameramen are as good as any if not better. And I don't hate Dick and Peggy. When they talk nonsense I can just turn them off in my mind. I don't like Peter who during the Worlds could only say Stephane can do interesting spins. (Peter kind of choked on the quads.)

Since there is no elimination round, and the skaters are not seeded, I can't imagine how they will show30 SPs LIVE. I'm not complaining but that's what they will have to do unless we are going to get it a week later by tape.

The LP could cut the LIVE time down because the skaters will then have made placements in the SP so that that they could show the last 12 to skate LIVE. I won't like - I want it all - but I understand it.

I wouldn't worry about a LIVE showing. If you are not busy you can just watch it at home in the afternoon or morning. If you're working just put the tape on and don't listen to the radio.

Oh, for pay-per-view for figure skating!

Joe

I would love to see Dick Button and Peggy Fleming call the Olympic figure skating. Add Tracy Wilson and Vern Lundquist, and you have a dynamic team of knowledgeable commentators.

It would help considering I can't hear the tone of the post when I read it.

I inferred you were being serious because you asked Dr. Frog if she hated Kerrigan's skating after she harshly criticized Kerrigan's commentating after you said you liked it and how we shouldn't judge her commentating based on her skating.

Tara always gave interesting interviews. She was one of the most skilled skaters ever when it came to dealing with the media. She always gave reporters something they could print, and they loved her for it. That media savvy would put her ahead of most skaters-turned commentators, and many people would tune in to hear Tara commentate during Michelle's skating.

Tara was media-savvy because she'd been in the public eye since she was a little girl. But the media was NOT always kind to Tara, although it wasn't Tara herself that created the negativity. Media hung around the Tara camp to get the latest snark from Pat Lipinski, who was very free with her criticism of coaches, skaters and judges. Anyone who dared to comment, win against, or lowball 'my Tara' got lambasted.

I think Tara would love to commentate for NBC, but I for one don't care much for her opinions. She still has a chip on her shoulder because even though she won the Olympics, she didn't displace Kwan in the affections of the public. She groused about her media treatment and image during an interview that was aired during 2003 US Nationals; on a recent web page entry she revealed still-bitter feelings about her figure skating career. I 'm not sure how objective she would be commenting on Kwan's performance.

Maybe NBC will hire Dick Button as a sort of 'special commentator' to preview & recap events, just as they did with Jim McKay in 2002. In Dick's case, he would comment before & after the skating events only.

To long-time American Olympics viewers, Jim McKay has been & will always be "Mr. Olympics," just as Dick Button will always be "Mr. Skating"!

Tara was media-savvy because she'd been in the public eye since she was a little girl.

Well Michelle has been in the public eye since she was a little girl as well and she still hasn't learned how to enunciate her words and she can barely put together a sentence. Supposedly she had done enough to get into UCLA and had gone there for a year, but listening to her speak she sounds as if she didn't even make it past 9th grade. Both Tara and Sarah sounded like Rhodes scholars compared to Kwan (and Sarah might eventually become a Rhodes Scholar herself).

I've never read derogatory comments about Kwan that were attributed to Tara. Tara is not Pat. There's no doubt that if Tara commentated, she would do as excellent job at that as she had done with her skating career.

I remember Tara's speaking voice and speech patterns when she was an eligible, and she was a dreadful clutterer (speaking in spurts, telescoping words, repetitive pitch patterns). Her speech pattern persisted through her early acting jobs until she took some acting classes (and was no doubt told to see a speech consultant). Her speech improved in her later acting jobs, although she still didn't have any talent for acting.

But being a skating whiz and learning to speak properly don't qualify Tara as a TV commentator. There's a lot more to the job than just commenting on a skater's program.

Kwan isn't a great speaker either, but then I don't think she relishes the media as much as Tara did.

It's true that Tara never had a bad word to say about Kwan (her mother had that covered, in spades). But I would still feel that Tara commenting on Kwan's performance would be very awkward.

Well Michelle has been in the public eye since she was a little girl as well and she still hasn't learned how to enunciate her words and she can barely put together a sentence. Supposedly she had done enough to get into UCLA and had gone there for a year, but listening to her speak she sounds as if she didn't even make it past 9th grade. Both Tara and Sarah sounded like Rhodes scholars compared to Kwan (and Sarah might eventually become a Rhodes Scholar herself).

I've never read derogatory comments about Kwan that were attributed to Tara. Tara is not Pat. There's no doubt that if Tara commentated, she would do as excellent job at that as she had done with her skating career.

True Kwan has an ennunciation problem, but you can't judge someone's intelligence by their thick accent. Just because you can ennunciate doesn't mean you actually have any substance behind what you're saying. I mean if you actually hear what Tara and Sarah have to say, you'd find that they aren't really that far ahead of Kwan.

I also don'tunderstand why people think Tara is so media savvy. She admittedly says that the media doesn't like her, and everything she did when she was in the spotlight seemed to be a PR nightmare.